What can go wrong when shipping artwork overseas? This is quite a common question when it comes to shipping fine art across borders. Here is a detailed risk map that shippers use as a backbone of risk management in international art logistics.
What Can Go Wrong When Shipping Artwork Overseas?
Risk management starts at the pre-shipment planning stage, when inaccurate object data input or insufficient condition reporting can create avoidable problems. Other sources of risk at this stage are poor valuation and insurance instructions, which result from a low-quality chain of custody or an absence of conservation-grade protocols. Ambiguous shipping terms and unclear responsibility can also do a bad favor to art shippers and all stakeholders involved.
The packing and crating process is vulnerable to risk as well, which stems from wrong packing method choices and inappropriate crate design, resulting in uneven load distribution or moisture and condensation failures. Mediocre or inexperienced carriers may ignore the temperature sensitivity of art freight entrusted to them, which also comes with a risk of material damage as a result of temperature swings in transit. Besides, vibration and micro-shock result in hardware damage and pigment loss risks if they are inappropriately factored into the packing and shipping strategy.
As international shipping often takes the form of multi-leg transportation, additional risks stem from multiple handling and transfer-point risks, such as excessive handoffs, forklift and pallet jack incidents, and improper sling or hoist techniques. If carriers resort to crate stacking, this practice can cause serious damage to artwork in transportation. Other risks are associated with open-and-repack procedures at customs, where non-trained staff may use incorrect tools and unsafe inspection techniques.
Transportation Mode-Specific Risks
Each transportation mode comes with specific risks that art shippers should know inside out. For instance, air freight is beneficial in terms of speed, which reduces the period of risk exposure. However, shipping by air involves serious temperature swings, turbulence micro-shocks, and strict cutoff times.
Shipping art by sea is cost-effective, which matters for the owners of large collections or large-sized, heavy art objects. Still, sea freight spends too much time in transit, with elevated risks of high humidity and salt exposure. Containers may accumulate condensation, referred to as “container rain” in the art logistics circles. Other hazards include port congestion and heavy vibration.
Now you have a clear answer to the question, “What can go wrong when shipping artwork overseas?” Risk management involves many aspects, such as condition integrity, regulatory exposure, and security. Art shippers also keep in mind the unpredictability of costs and scheduling. Safe, well-organized cross-border shipping is a careful orchestration of all these issues, which makes risk manageable, if not avoidable.